Follow us on this amazing DIY School Bus transformation and be sure not to miss the before and after (#15 for the interior before, and #2 for the interior after). The jaw-dropping transformation will make you want to buy a School Bus of your own!

20. Taking on a New Challenge


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Michael Talley, a young Texan, might just be the perfect role model for people who are struggling to overcome adversity in their lives.

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Day 1: Mike recalls how he spent $2,200 in a bidding war against various other buyers as soon as Austin Independent School District bus sales went live. 

Although it was a steep price for him to pay at the time, Michael had to make this work. His day job as a t-shirts graphics designer was so-so, and with the monthly $1200 rent going in against a studio apartment, the prospect of a bright future was looking bleak.

19. Anticipating an Overhaul

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His recently purchased school bus DIY project went viral after he shed light on the life altering events that convinced him to take the challenge in the first place. Once he was through the grueling bidding war at auction, Michael Talley was ready to get started on his new adventure and turn the tables of his future in his favor. What came next was totally unexpected…

18. The Project is Underway

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Yep, the entire seating assembly ripped apart and trashed outside.

17. What Drove Him to Do This?

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Things are looking a little comfy and roomy.

Michael was cheated on by his girlfriend. If that wasn’t enough, his beloved dog passed away and he got fired from his day job. Sometime later, things took a more morbid turn when he learned of his grandfather’s death!

16. Stay Positive

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Overall, no signs of major rusting or whatsoever. So far, things are looking okay.

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Despite of all the negativity going on, Michael never forgot to lose his sense of humor.

15. Never Give Up. Every Step is an Achievement.

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“While working, I’d barely get any sleep. My mind kept coming up with all the ideas and ‘what if’ scenarios,” said Mike in an interview.

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At the end of each day, he’d sit on the bus’s rooftop, pour himself some wine and drink to the achievements made so far. However, nature decided to test Michael’s patience for the next few weeks. You wouldn’t believe what mother nature had in store for him!

14. Testing His Patience

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You are probably thinking, “okay life has got to get better from now on for the young chap.” Not entirely. Looks like nature chose an unusual time of the year to bestow Mike’s school bus renovation project with a heavy downpour, two floods and a heck uv’ a hailstorm.

13. Waiting Out the Weather

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Remodeling had to be paused until the sunshine was back to its fullest.

Michael wasn’t expecting heavy rainfalls in the Central Texas area. Unfortunately, things took a wild turn as weather became more aggressive day by day. Nothing could be done; he had to wait it out.

12. Managing Mother Nature’s Curve Ball

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Luckily the wood paneling remained intact despite of the rainy season. The water damage may have hindered the work flow, but Michael remained adamant throughout the tedious process. He was as resourceful as he could possibly be throughout, although he did start to run into some financial hindrances along the way. 

11. Funding His Dream

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At one point, the guy had to host a Go Fund Me campaign to meet his goals. Alas, it only got him a little over $300, but his friends chipped in unexpectedly which allowed him to keep building his dream bus!

10. Raising the Roof

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Raising the bar or the roof itself?

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For a tall guy like Talley, the entire scaffolding had to be cut and raised to make room for his gigantic physique. The above image offers the view of the raised roof from a distance. This allowed for quite a spacious interior as you will see.

9. Manscaping the Bus!

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Fully insulated and ready for some manscaping, the school bus project gained momentum as soon as wiring was installed.

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On a funny note, Michael accidentally sprayed his beard with insulation spray. He had to shave it eventually. Indeed, a valuable lesson learned that day. . .

He took the above snapshot a little while before sacrificing his beard to the insulation spray disaster. Ah well… the sooner it’s done, the better it is.

8. Solar Powered

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For just about $800, Talley was lucky enough to get an entire solar panel power system from CraigsList. He installed it afterwards on the roof.

7. Almost There

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Out with the old one, In with the new stuff. Michael got some pretty big discounts on bedding and sofa seaters from IKEA! You’re jaw will drop once you see what it looks like when finished … 

6. Looking Fabulous, Isn’t It?

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The living room boasts of custom woodwork, aluminum panels and few office related toys. 

5. Clean Minimalist Kitchen Space

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A close up shot of the kitchen sink reveals custom plumbing and wall wiring.

At the end of the grueling five month period. The monstrous bus is standing tall with a raised roof top scaffolding, a luxurious modern style bedding, a 55 Inch 4K Ultra TV, tons of other drool worthy components, and a super cozy bedroom set up you have to see.

4. A Cozy Living Space with All the Fixtures to Make a Home

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The bed was installed at the back side near the emergency exit bay. Michael went out of the way to make sure that everything was done as per his expectations.

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I decided to protect my limited edition Martin Ansin: “Looper” poster with a velcro frame,” said Michael when asked about adding protection to fragile objects. He’s a pretty clever guy and used some pretty interesting tricks to pull off this bus renovation. Speaking of terrible tricks, he pulled a cruel prank on his friends and family…

3. Tricks Up His Sleeve

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Right before the school bus renovation reached it’s last phase, Michael decided to pull a sick joke on his friends and family about the “progress” so far! Don’t worry, he wasn’t frustrated enough to torch it. Quite the contrary actually. He saw it through to the very end and we’ve gotta say, it looks pretty lavish for what was once a school bus!

2. The Lavish Setup

The finished living room/ office room were just a few steps away from the bedroom. Notice how he installed a wall panel to divide the two rooms?

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Yellow to white wasn’t just a paint job. It took well over 5 months to get to this point. 

To think that just one year prior to all this, young Mike sold all his possessions and invested his life savings in a busted school bus. Through this journey Michael shows us that it is possible to overcome adversity and  he has a word of advice for those who are going through the worst phase in their lives…

 

1. “If I Can Do It, You Can Do It Too”

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I know, life was a cliche’ at some point throughout this project. But if I can do it, you can do it too.” Michael Talley had no prior experience of building anything with his hands. Above all, his monthly expenses are now reduced to a little over $100. He can take his mobile dream home anywhere, and continue to work for various companies from the comfort of a lavish laid back setup.